The Chinese liaison office is seen during China's National Day in Hong Kong on Oct 1, 2020. (PHOTO / AFP)

HONG KONG - The Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on Thursday said it firmly supports the efforts of the HKSAR government and police to strictly enforce the law, safeguard national security and maintain Hong Kong’s prosperity and stability.

Noting that the Basic Law guarantees freedom of speech and free press in Hong Kong, the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region said these rights are not absolute and should not cross the bottom line of national security

No-one is above the law, including the media organizations, as “press freedom” shall not be the disguise for illegal activities, the office said in a statement.

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The statement came hours into the arrest of five directors of a company linked to local tabloid Apple Daily on suspicion of conspiring to collude with a foreign country or external elements to endanger national security, contravening Article 29 of the National Security Law.

Noting that the Basic Law guarantees freedom of speech and free press in Hong Kong, the office said these rights are not absolute and should not cross the bottom line of national security, which is a universal principle and general practice of the laws of every country.

Anyone who violates the National Security Law for Hong Kong will be dealt with seriously, regardless of their professionor the power behind them, the office stressed.

In a separate statement, the Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR expressed a similar sentiment on Thursday, saying that it firmly supports the police's law enforcement action against three companies including Apple Daily and five directors of the newspaper.

According to the National Security Law for Hong Kong, any institution, organization or individual in the HKSAR shall abide by the national security law and other laws of the region in relation to safeguarding national security and shall not engage in any act or activity which endangers national security, a spokesperson for the office said in a statement.

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The office firmly supports the police in fulfilling their duties according to the law and taking resolute actions against any act endangering national security, the spokesperson said.

With Xinhua inputs